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This Roasted Delicata Squash Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing is a cozy and healthy fall recipe that’s perfect for weeknight dinners or holiday sides. Tender roasted delicata squash with its naturally sweet, edible skin pairs beautifully with fresh greens, crunchy walnuts, tangy feta, dried cherries and a homemade maple Dijon vinaigrette. Sure to be one of your favorite delicata squash recipes!
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Why you'll love this salad
- Healthy Goodness- Between the squash, the mixed greens and walnuts, this salad is loaded with fiber, vitamins A and C and Omega-3s, which all have their role in helping to boost immunity and support gut and heart health. The greens and the squash are low in calories, which makes for a super tasty, nutrition packed salad that is great as a side but hearty enough for a main course.
- Seasonal and Fresh- Delicata squash is at its peak freshness in fall and winter, so this is a great way to continue eating fresh farm-to-table nutrition after summer.
- Easy Prep- No peeling required! The prep for this salad is so minimal! Simply cut the squash, pop it in the oven then and make the quick and easy dressing and that's all there is to it.
- Beautiful Presentation- The golden squash rings look beautiful on the salad greens making it instagram and pinterest worthy!
- Crowd pleasing Balance of Flavors and Textures- The texture combo of the crunch of the walnuts and the creaminess of the squash is so good and the flavor balance of the sweet and tangy maple dijon dressing, feta and nuttiness of the squash and walnuts is perfection!
- Dietary restriction friendly- Not only does this fit into a vegetarian diet, but it is a naturally gluten free recipe, and, if you leave out the feta, it is dairy free, and vegan as well!
Ingredients
- Fresh mixed greens
- delicata squash
- feta
- shallot
- dried cherries
- walnuts
Maple Dijon dressing
- Maple Syrup- Real maple syrup, none of those Aunt Jemima or Log cabin imposters.
- Dijon mustard
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Shallot
- Salad oil such as Avocado or grapeseed oil
- Salt and pepper
There are not enough words to describe how delicious this dressing is! Like drinkable delicious. The maple is so perfect with the delicata squash on this salad. The mustard and apple cider vinegar add a little bite to cut the sweetness. The shallots add that little something extra that only shallots can bring. It is something you are going to want to put on everything.
What is delicata squash
Delicata is a cylindrical shaped squash that is light yellow with green stripes when it is ripe.
Similar to a sweet potato in that it is orange, firm, creamy and sweet. It is low carb, low calorie, and low maintenance, as the skin is thin so it doesn't require peeling!
It can be sliced in the rings and roasted, as in this recipe, or it can be cut into, "boats" and stuffed. There are so many delicious delicata squash recipes!
It is rich fiber, vitamin A, C, and potassium and low in carbs and calories, so it fits into a low carb, low calorie diet.
Most of all, it is delicious!
How to roast delicata squash
Start by washing the squash. There is no need to peel them, as the skin is very thin. So, make sure they are nice and clean and dry to start.
Use a sharp knife to slice the squash into about ½ inch rings. It should be fairly easy to cut, as cutting squash goes, but make sure you have a good hold on it and a good sharp knife.
Toss the squash into a mixture of maple syrup, olive oil and salt and pepper, then place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Roast them in a preheated 400°F oven for 30 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.
You will know they are done when they are golden brown and caramelized.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can use chunks of butternut squash, or acorn squash, but keep in mind that both of those need to be peeled.
The roasted squash can last for 2 days in the fridge, but the crispness that comes from the caramelization will get soft. However, it will still be delicious!
This salad would be delicious with shredded rotisserie chicken, or salmon. For a vegetarian option, quinoa, farro or chickpeas add a great protein boost!
Almost! Simply eliminate the feta and it will be vegan.
Yes, it sure is!
Everything but the feta is dairy free. So, simply leave the feta out and you will be good to go! Don't worry, there is enough delicious flavor, the feta won't be missed!
More Fall Recipes
- Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Black Lentils- My favorite fall soup of all time! If nothing else, try the crispy lentils!
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese- A ridiculously good spin on the classic. A delicious and sneaky way to get those veggies in!
- Salted Spiced Rum Ginger Cookies- Nothing says fall like these crisp, yet chewy cookies.
- Meatloaf with Tomato Bacon Onion Jam- Can I humbly say that this is the best meatloaf recipe ever?! I promise.
- Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Marsala- A rich and decadent vegetarian pasta recipe that is insanely good.
I hope you love the fall flavors of this Delicata Squash Salad! I would love to hear from you in the comments below. Thank you and thank you for visiting Mollie in Montana~*! ♥️
📖 Recipe
Roasted Delicata Squash Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 cups mixed greens
- 1 delicata squash
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ cup walnuts
- ¼ cup dried cherries
- ¼ cup feta or goat cheese
Salad Dressing
- ¼ cup real maple syrup
- ⅓ cup dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon diced shallot
- ¾ cup avocado oil or salad oil of your choice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Cut Delicata squash in ½ inch rings. No need to peel!
- Whisk together 2 tablespoon Olive oil and 1 tablespoon maple syrup and ½ teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
- Toss rings with olive oil and maple syrup and olive oil mixture until they are well coated.
- Place rings on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, flipping the squash rings halfway through. They are done when they are soft and golden brown.
- Let the squash cool and set aside until you are ready to serve the salad.
- In a large salad bowl layer the mixed greens, then the squash, and the shallot. Right before you serve, drizzle the maple dijon dressing on top, and finally sprinkle the feta, dried cherries and walnuts.Serve and Enjoy!
Maple Dijon Dressing
- While the squash is cooling, make the maple dijon dressing. You can also make this ahead of time if you would like. It will last in the fridge for up to two weeks.
- In a blender add the maple syrup, dijon mustard, shallot, apple cider vinegar, and salt and blend.
- With the lid on, slowly drizzle the oil in as it blends on medium speed.
- Once all of the oil has been added, turn the blender on high speed for about 10 seconds until everything is blended and the dressing is smooth and creamy.
- Store it in a mason jar in the fridge until you are ready to use!
Notes
Notes:
- Dietary options- To make this vegan and dairy free, eliminate the feta.
- Oil Options- Just a head up, if you want to use olive oil for the dressing, you can, but it will solidify in the fridge, and add a subtle flavor. If you are ok with that, just plan to have the dressing out of the fridge for 30 minutes or so before you use it so that it can come to room temperature and liquify.
- To make this more substantial, add shredded rotisserie chicken, salmon, or to keep it vegetarian, add quinoa, farro, chickpeas or crispy lentils.
- Blue cheese instead of feta would also be delicious.
- Store leftover squash in a sealed container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Maple Dijon dressing can last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Enjoy! 🙂
Abby says
This riff on honey mustard was outstanding for the Fall season! I've been drizzling it over roasted veggies and it makes them shine. (and so easy!)
mollieinmontana says
Ohhhh, I am so glad you like it!! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂 Happy Fall!!